Presidential politics, featuring a cavalcade of candidates, will top the agenda at the AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting in Chicago, Aug. 5-6.

Union presidents will discuss issues ranging from the right to organize to legislative plans. But the centerpiece will be a "Working Families Presidential Forum," to be broadcast nationwide on cable TV from Chicago's Navy Pier. All nine Democratic candidates are invited, to answer questions from workers nationwide.

The cable network C-SPAN will air the forum live at 7 p.m. central time on Tuesday, Aug. 5.

The federation is urging local unions, labor councils and state federations to organize "watch parties" for unionists to evaluate the hopefuls. The next day the council will discuss its next moves in the presidential endorsement process.

The current White House occupant, George W. Bush, is invited to address the council, but not participate in the forum.

The U.S. "needs a leader who plans to put the needs and concerns of working men and women front and center," AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney said in a prepared statement. "The forum will help members decide who best represents" them as unions "prepare to undertake an unprecedented mobilization for the 2004 elections."

Six unions have endorsed one hopeful, former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo.,: The Ironworkers; Bricklayers; Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees; Office and Professional Employees; Boilermakers; and International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, in that order.

The Ironworkers and BMWE cited Gephardt's overall strong pro-worker record. Boilermakers President Charlie Jones praised Gephardt's battles for Social Security, Medicare and OSHA. Bricklayers President John J. Flynn cited Gephardt's backing of the right to organize, and OPEIU President Michael Goodwin praised Gephardt's employer-based universal health care plan.

Leaders of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers endorsed Gephardt earlier this month. ?Given the dismal state of our economy and the importance of the upcoming election, we believe early involvement is essential to give our members and this candidate the chance they both deserve,? said IAMAW President Tom Buffenbarger.

But the real importance of the endorsements is that the unions will send workers into Iowa, New Hampshire and other key early primary and caucus states to work for Gephardt. The six unions total more than 1 million members, giving Gephardt a head start on what all the hopefuls need for an AFL-CIO endorsement next year: Votes from unions representing two-thirds of all federation members, or 8.84 million members.

This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.